Alfajores de maicena
Cornflour dulce de leche sandwich cookies
Crumbly cornflour cookies sandwiched with dulce de leche and coconut
Alfajores de maicena are the homemade alfajor of Argentina and Uruguay, baked for birthdays, school fairs and merienda (afternoon tea) with mate. Two pale, melt-in-the-mouth biscuits made mostly with cornflour are sandwiched with a thick layer of dulce de leche and rolled in desiccated coconut around the edge. They should crumble at the first bite. Chef's tip: take them out of the oven while still pale; if they colour they lose their tender, sandy texture.
- Total time
- 42 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 15
Ingredients
- 3 ½ oz buttersoftened
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 5 ½ oz cornflour (cornstarch)
- 3 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp brandy (optional)
- 1 ⅜ oz desiccated coconut
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Beat 3 ½ oz butter and 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar until pale and creamy, 3 minutes. Beat in 2 egg yolks one at a time, then 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tbsp brandy if using.
Step 2: Sift in 5 ½ oz cornflour (cornstarch), 3 ½ oz plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder and mix gently just until a soft dough forms. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan). Line two trays with baking paper.
Step 4: Roll the dough between two sheets of baking paper to 5 mm thick and cut out 30 rounds with a 5 cm cutter. Re-roll the scraps once.
Step 5: Bake until set and dry on top but still pale, with only the bottoms faintly golden, 10–12 minutes. The common mistake is baking until golden: they then turn hard instead of sandy.
11 minStep 6: Cool completely on the trays; they're fragile while warm.
Step 7: Spread a generous teaspoon of 9 oz thick dulce de leche (repostero) on half the biscuits, top with the rest and press gently so the filling reaches the edges.
Step 8: Roll the edges in 1 ⅜ oz desiccated coconut. They're best the next day, when the biscuits have softened slightly.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does alfajores de maicena take?
- About 42 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 15 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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